Local authorities are inspected every three years, either by undertaking a physical visit or remotely through a combination of examining documentation and interviewing key officers). We also annually inspect local authorities via the National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN), which processes all communications data requests for local authorities.
Councils are typically low-volume users of covert powers. Our inspections also investigate whether these powers are being used inadvertently and whether appropriate training is in place to prevent this.